Surge Warning Up In Cebu

[Medic Mike]

Saturday, February 1, 2014

CEBU CITY -- Local government units in Cebu were told to watch out for storm surges, flashfloods and landslides as Tropical Storm Basyang hits the island today, February 1.

At least 1,188 passengers were stranded after vessels were barred from leaving on Friday from Cebu, one of 21 provinces where public storm signal number two was raised at 5:30 p.m.

The weather bureau warned coastal residents to evacuate, as storm surges with waves up to five or six meters high could roll in. Among the areas at risk are provinces that, less than three months ago, Typhoon Yolanda battered.

The Cebu Capitol’s disaster council assured that relief goods, equipment and other emergency supplies were in position, but that local officials should take the lead in their communities.

“The local government unit concerned in the towns, they should take the lead because they are the first responders,” said Neil Angelo Sanchez of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRM).

As of 10 last night, the government’s weather bureau said that Basyang was in the vicinity of Ubay, Bohol, with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 80 kph.

It was expected to bring moderate to heavy rains, or five to 15 millimeters of rainfall per hour.

Evangeline Tolentino, weather specialist in the Mactan, Cebu Station of Pagasa, said that Basyang was expected to hit southern Cebu this dawn. Pagasa stands for the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

As of 5:30 p.m. Friday, Cebu was placed under public storm signal number two, which meant that 61-100 kph winds could be expected within 24 hours.

Signal No. 2

Other areas under storm signal two are Iloilo, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Siquijor, Guimaras, Bohol, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Samar, Eastern Samar, Camotes Islands, Camiguin, Dinagat Province, Surigao del Norte (including Siargao Islands), and the northern part of Surigao del Sur and Agusan del Norte.

Storm signal number one was raised in Masbate, Palawan, Calamian Islands, Northern Samar, Biliran, Aklan, Capiz, Antique, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, northern part of Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Norte and the rest of Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur.

These areas were expected to experience 30-60 kph winds in the next 36 hours.

Tolentino said that residents in affected coastal areas should be alert against storm surges of five to six meters high.

She said Basyang was expected to leave Philippine territory on Sunday afternoon.

Classes in elementary and high school, both private and public, in the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu are cancelled today.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza instructed the City Network for Early Response on the Verge of Emergency to warn all coastal barangays.

No preemptive evacuation was carried out as of yesterday, but Radaza ordered barangay officials to be on alert.

In the first district, however, forced evacuations were ordered in coastal barangays.

Move early

Garry Cabotaje, City of Naga public information officer, said the social welfare unit immediately went to the coastal barangays, urging residents to head for the Enan Chiong Activity Center located in Barangay South Poblacion.

Residents of riverside and mountain barangays were also urged to evacuate, considering the risk of landslides and flashfloods, Cabotaje said.

In Talisay City, officials also persuaded residents of six coastal barangays to evacuate to safer areas, due to the threat of a storm surge.

Vince Monterde, Talisay City public information officer, said that he and Mayor Johnny de los Reyes went to the coastal and mountain barangays to warn residents about Basyang.

Monterde, who is also the city’s local disaster officer, said that residents in the coastal barangays were ordered to stay in evacuation centers like the Talisay City Sports Complex in Barangay Poblacion and the Talisay City Hall motor pool.

Engr. Oscar Tabada of the Pagasa Mactan station had warned them about the possibility of a storm surge and that the sea level would rise by about 1.38 meters last night, Monterde said.

Coastal areas in Talisay City are Poblacion, Cansojong, Pooc, Dumlog, Biasong, Tanke and San Roque.

Vulnerable areas

In Minglanilla, Mayor Lani Pena ordered the immediate evacuation of residents in four coastal barangays: Tungkil, Calajoan, Tulay and Tungkop.

Pena added that local officials have also prepared evacuation areas like the Minglanilla Sports Complex and the Lipata National High School. A multipurpose building belonging to the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish may also be used as an evacuation center.

In Carcar City, officials urged residents in coastal and riverside areas to evacuate for their safety.

In a text message to Sun.Star Cebu, Carcar City Councilor Anthony John Apura said the City’s emergency supplies and equipment were ready.

The Capitol, for its part, has identified at least 22 areas that are prone to landslides and floods.

These are Argao, Alcoy, Boljoon, Carcar City, Carmen, Catmon, Compostela, Consolacion, Dalaguete, Danao, Liloan, Madridejos, Malabuyoc, Mandaue City, Naga City, Oslob, Pinamungahan, San Fernando, Sibonga, Sogod and Talisay City.

Sanchez said that the police were also told to monitor hazard-prone areas.

Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Evelyn Senajon said the Capitol has enough around 2,000 sacks of rice in its warehouse, along with canned goods, used clothing, bed sheets and tents.

Better safe

For the Coast Guard, the priority was to keep at least 33 passenger and cargo vessels from leaving the port.

“We could not risk the safety of the passengers and the crew. So, we are canceling all operations,” said Commander Rodolfo Villajuan of Philippine Coast Guard Cebu Station.

The M/V St. Pope John Paul II, carrying 844 passengers, cut shorts its trip to Cagayan de Oro and turned back.

Among the vessels that were kept from sailing yesterday were Oceanjet from Cebu to Ormoc; Starcraft 6 from Cebu to Tubigon; Starcraft 5 and Clemer 8 from Cebu to Getafe, Bohol; Lite Ferry 5 from Cebu to Tagbilaran, Bohol; Lite Jet from Cebu to Tubigon, Bohol; and Lite Ferry 25 and 20 from Mandaue to Tubigon, Bohol.

In Danao City, Mika Mari, Mika Mari III and Mika Mari V, bound for Consuelo, Camotes; and Melrivic 1 and Melrivic 2, bound for Isabel, Leyte, were canceled.

Nine trips from Hagnaya, San Remigio to Sta. Fe, Bantayan; and five trips from Tangil, Dumanjug to Basak and Bulado, Negros Oriental; and four trips from Toledo City to San Carlos, Negros Occidental were also suspended. (Sun.Star Cebu)

 

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2014/02/01/surge-warning-cebu-326083

 

[Medic Mike]

Saturday, February 1, 2014

MANILA (Updated) -- Tropical Depression "Basyang" (Kajiki) will be out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Sunday afternoon, the state weather bureau said Saturday.

As of 4 p.m., Basyang was 88 kilometers (km) southwest of Coron, Palawan, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

Public storm warning signal number 1 remains in northern Palawan, Calamian Group of Islands, Oriental Mindoro, and Occidental Mindoro.

 

Public storm warning signals in Visayas and Mindanao have been lowered.

Pagasa said the tropical depression was packing maximum winds of up 55 kilometers per hour (kph). It was moving westward at 30 kph.

Basyang, which intensified into a tropical storm Friday, made a total of eight landfalls in parts of the Visayas and Mindanao. It weakened into a tropical depression status on Saturday, the bureau said.

 

 

 

 

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the volume of stranded passengers in several ports across the country has reduced to 7,464 from 9,023.

The stranded passengers are in the ports of Manila (3,032), Batangas (777), Mamburao (98), Calapan (800), Romblon (502), Masbate (15), Cebu (103), Dumaguete (659), Maasin (441), Iloilo (160), Bacolod (312), Caticlan (492), Surigao (135), Ozamis (15), Butuan (47), Cagayan de Oro (211), and Dapitan (76).

The Coast Guard has also suspended all tourism-related activities in sea remain suspended, including the Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) boat tour and island-hopping activities in the province, particularly in Coron and El Nido.

Meanwhile, Budget carrier Cebu Pacific Air on Saturday canceled 32 of its domestic flights due to the stormy weather brought by Basyang.

 

Basyang is predicted to exit PAR Sunday afternoon, Pagasa said.

Estimated rainfall amount is 5 to 10 millimeter per hour (moderate to heavy) within 300 km diameter of the tropical depression.

Pagasa added that fishing boats and other small seacrafts are advised not to venture out into the eastern seaboard of Luzon and southern seaboard of Southern Luzon due to the surge of Northeast Monsoon

 

Edited February 1, 2014 by Medic Mike

[johnb]

Yes friday night in Cebu [ Pardo south of the city] was very wet and windy, my wife thought the winds were worse than Novembers Yolanda, I didnt think so but it certailny brought back memories, caused a short brown out but power did return later that evening.

 

Johnb

[Medic Mike]

One man died and more than 18,000 people fled their homes in the Philippines' Visayas and Mindanao regions as tropical storm Kajiki battered areas still struggling to recover from Typhoon Haiyan and a 7.2- magnitude earthquake.

A man drowned in Macrohon town, Southern Leyte, Armando Bolalin, the province's police chief, said.

More than half of those displaced were from Leyte and Tacloban, which accounted for 5,308 of the 6,200 killed when Haiyan hit on November 8, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Around 4,200 were from Cebu island, which was shaken by the October 15 quake.

The rest of the evacuees were from the Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte province, which were hit last month by tropical depression Agaton, which triggered floods and landslides that killed at least 70 people, the risk agency reported.

Kajiki, named Basyang locally, has winds of up to 65 km/h and maximum gusts of 80 km/h. It has stranded 9,500 people in ports and triggered a power outage in the Dinagat Islands.

A two-metre storm surge hit the towns of San Jose and Cagdianao in the islands, a provincial government official said, adding there was no major damage reported.

The Philippines is still rebuilding after Haiyan, and the government estimates the cost of reconstruction at 361 billion pesos (HK$62 billion). The Asian Development Bank estimates losses from natural disasters in the country amount to US$1.6 billion a year, the most in Southeast Asia.

Haiyan, the world's strongest typhoon to make landfall, displaced four million people and damaged 1.14 million homes. Almost three months later, operations at Tacloban airport remain limited and the power supply has yet to be fully restored in the city, which suffered the most from the typhoon, according to a recent risk agency report.

The Philippines, battered by cyclones that form over the Pacific Ocean, is the second most-at-risk nation globally from tropical storms, after Japan, according to Maplecroft, a research company based in Bath, England.

The government is studying a three-step storm surge alert system that will give out warnings as early as 48 hours before waves of up to five metres high reach the shore, an official said.

 

http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1418749/18000-flee-new-storm-kajiki-central-philippines-wrecked-haiyan